Annealing-furnace



3 SheetsShe et 1.

(No Model.)

0, H. PRUST & J. WATKINS. ANNEALI NG FURNACE. No. 546,482. PatentedSept. 17, 1895.

3 SheetsSheet 2.

(No Model.)

G. H. PRUST 85 J. WATKINS.

ANNEALING FURNACE. No. 546,432. Patented Sept. 17,1895.

d rdwzow Ni'rnn' STATES ATENT urinal.

ANNEALlNG- FURNACE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 5 46,432, datedSeptember 17, 1895. A lets. filed February 27,1895. Serial No. 539,852.(No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, CHARLES H. Fever and J AMES YVATKINS, citizens ofthe United States, residing at Columbus, in the county of Franklin andState of Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement inAnhealing-Furnaces, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to the improvement of annealing-furnaces, and hasparticular relation to that class of furnaces designed for theproduction of malleable iron castings.

The objects of our invention are to provide an improved furnace of thisclass of superior construction and arrangement of parts; to provideimproved means for producing a uniform distribution of heat throughoutthe interior of the furnace; to provide improvements in the arrangementand construction of the furnace-fines, and to produce other improvementswhich will be more fully pointed out hereinafter. These objects weaccomplish in the manner illustrated in the accompanying drawings, inwhich Figure 1 is a front elevation of our improved furnace. Fig. 2 is acentral vertical transverse section of the same. Fig. 3 is a centralvertical longitudinal section, and Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectionalview taken on line i6 02 of Fig. 1.

Similar letters refer to similar parts throu ghout the several views.

In the construction of our improved furnace we provide the same with asuitable foundation or base a. From the foundation a rise the side wallsa, the upper sides of the latter being connected by an arched roof o ofrepresents the rear end wall, in which are provided the usual fire-boxfeed-openings at and ash-pit openings a Within the furnace-body and at adesirable distance from the rear end thereof we provide a transversevertical bridge-wall b, the latter rising to within a short distance ofthe furnace top or roofing and having its upper side, preferably,slightly arched, as indicated in Fig. 2 of the drawings, to conform tothe arch of the roof a Between the bridge-wall and rear end wall a areprovided a horizontally-arranged gratebar frame Z), the latterextending, as shown, throughout the width of the interior of the furnaceand resulting in the formation of a fire-box b above and an ash-pit 6below the same.

In the upper portion of the furnace-base a are provided parallelflue-Walls or partial partitions c, which extend, alternately from thefront of the furnace and bridge-walL The flue-walls c, which extend fromand are connected with the front of the furnace, terminate a shortdistance fromthe bridge-wall, while the remaining flue-walls c, whichextend forward from the bridge-wall, terminate a short distance fromsaid furnace front, thus resulting in the formation of parallel flues c,which are connected alternately at their for ward and rear ends.

As indicated in Fig. 4: of the drawings, the two central flue-walls,which are indicated at 0 are preferably both connected with the furnacefront, thus forming a central line (1 with which the lines c on eitherside thereof connect at their inner ends. From this central flue a maylead outward through a suitable opening 0 a conduit to a smokestack.Upon the flue-walls c c are supported a flooring consisting of flattiles d, the flooring thus formed serving to cover the base-flueopenings c 0 Upon this tile-flooring d are supported, as indicated,transverse parallel rows of bricks or blocks d, resulting in theformation between the same of transverse parallel fines or channels 01Upon the upper sides of these bricks or blocks cl and extending at rightangles therewith are supported two h0llow walls 9, which are arrangedrespectively on opposite sides of the center of the Width of thefurnace-body and which extend upward to meet the roof-arch, as indicatedmore clearly in Fig. 2 of the drawings. These walls 6 serve, asindicated in the drawings, to separate the space within the furnace andabove the tile-flooring into longitudinally-arranged compartments f. Thetwo outer side compartments f communicate at their upper ends with theupper open ends of vertical side wall fluesf', which are formed on theinner sides of the side walls a, and which at their lower endscommunicate with the ends of the chandrawings, preferably terminatebelow the line of the bridge-wall top. The upper sides of these walls 71are connected by a suitable covering h, which, as indicated in thedrawings, I

may consist of tiling-plates arranged to meet over the center of thecentral compartment f. Above this cover it and at a distance therefromis supported a similar cover 71- Between. the cover portions k and h andbe tween the vertical lining-walls h and the in ner sides of the hollowwalls 6 we provide a packing or filling i of iron ore or similarmaterial. In this manner the central compartmentfis provided with asecondary or internal compartmentf At the rear end of this internalcompartment f we provide a vertical end wall f between which and theinner surface of the bridge-wall is provided a suitable packing f Theforward end portion of this internal compartment f 5 is also providedwith a vertical end wall f between which and the front furnace-walls isprovidedahollow wall resulting in the formation of a vertical fiuef,which extends upward to the top of the furnace. The lower end of thisfiuef communicates with flue-openings 9 formed in the forward end walland the lower ends of which communicate with the base-fines 0 0 Theupper portion of the flue f communicates through suitable openings fwith the upper portions of the compartmentsf. Between the inner wall ofthe flue f and the wall f is provided a suitable packingf The wall f andthe hollow wall forming the flue f and packing f are, however, of atemporary nature-that is, said walls and packing are only employedduring the heating or annealing process and are removed to gain accessto the compartments which they cover.

Above the cover-plates 7L2 the inner section of each of the side walls 0is provided with ports it, which communicate with the hollow of saidwalls. In operation the heat rises from the fire-box b and, followingthe direction of the arrows, passes over the top of the bridge-wall band thence into the compartmentsf. From the upper portion of the centralcompartments f the heat passes through the ports is, down through thehollows of the walls 6, thence into the channels (F, from which the heatmay rise within said compartments f, or, passing through the side fluesg and end flue f be drawn downward into the fines 0 0 from which thesmoke and other products of combustion may escape to the stack throughthe opening 0 From the operation and construction which we havedescribed it will be seen that a thorough and uniform circulation ofheat will be attained throughout the various compartments and that asubstantially equal distribution of heat is obtained both in the upperand lower portions of the furnace.

It is evident that the internal compartment formed by the use of thelining-walls 7L and cover-plates h will serve as a safe repository forsuch castings as are readily affected by a direct heat and that thepacking or lining which is contained about the walls of saidcompartments will operate to prevent a direct heat being imparted to thecontents of the same. It is evident that the outer compartmentsf may beemployed for the support of such articles as are adapted to withstand adirector intense heat. In the use of these outer compartments f we doaway with the employment of pots or other receptacles for the supportand proper separation of the castings to be annealed and support saidcastings in an ore or similar packing placed directly within thecompartments.

By causing the fire-box to extend completely across one end of thefurnace body, as herein shown, it will be seen that the variouscompartments of said furnace will be supplied with heat directly overthe bridge-wall. It will be observed that our improved furnace is ofsimple, substantial, and reliable construction.

Having now fully described our invention. what we claim, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In an annealing furnace the combination with the base, external wallsand cover, a fire space extending across one end of said furnace and abridge wall in front of said fire space, of communicating heatcirculating lines arranged in the furnace base, two or more compartmentsformed within said furnace, the upper portions of said compartmentscommunicating with the fire box over the bridge Wall, the lower portionsof said compartments communicating with each other and a communicationbetween said compartments and the circulating flues, substantially asand for the purpose specified.

2. In an annealing furnace the combination with the base, external wallsand cover, a fire space and a bridge wall in front of said fire space,of transverse channels or ways 0 arranged as described on the floor ofthe fur nace and compartments within said furnace supported above saidchannels and communicating therewith, said compartments being separatedby hollow walls and communicating with the fire space in their upperportions and with each other through said fire channels in their lowerportions, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

3. In an annealing furnace the combination with the base, externalwalls, a cover and fire space, a bridge wall in front of the same andiOt) heat fines arranged in said base, of ways or between saidcompartments and base fines, channels 01 formed above said base heatfines, substantially as and for the purpose specified. 1o compartmentsarranged above said channels A v and at right angles therewith asdescribed, 2

one of said compartments having hollow side walls and internal side andend lining Walls In presence of inclosing a packing and a communicationbe CHARLES H. KRAMER, tween said fire space and compartments and C. M.VOORHEES.

